Linsey Lam of Dwight Englewood placed third in pole vault, clearing 7-feet-6-inches, during the NJIC track meet at the Armory Track on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in New York. Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com

Cameron Storz of Emerson clears 11-feet-6-inches, coming in second in pole vault, during the NJIC track meet at the Armory Track on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in New York. Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com

Talia Ferguson of Hasbrouck Heights reacts after clearing 5-feet-2-inches in the high jump for the first time during the NJIC track meet at the Armory Track on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in New York. Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com

Hasbrouck Heights coach John d'Amato high-fives Talia Ferguson after Ferguson clears 5-feet-2-inches in the high jump during the NJIC track meet at the Armory Track on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in New York. Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com

Maliki Burrell of Hasbrouck Heights finishes second in the 55-meter dash during the NJIC track meet at the Armory Track on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in New York. (Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com)

That’s what the Hasbrouck Heights boys indoor track team did to the remainder of the field on Monday at the NJIC Championships at the Armory Track & Field Center.

The Aviators dominated the competition, racing and jumping their way to their first team title in three years, scoring 94 points to outdistance runner-up Manchester by a 53-point margin.

Two-time defending champion Glen Rock finished third with 38 points, followed by Rutherford (36) and Cresskill (29), who finished in fourth and fifth place respectively.

“This was a great team effort,” Hasbrouck Heights coach Rob Brady said. “We had a lot of kids compete in multiple events and they spread themselves out for the team, which was great to see. Our distance runners are coming off a great cross-country season and we were able to split up some of the kids in the mile and two miles. Our depth really helped us today.”

Hasbrouck Heights' talent ran deep as 11 individual athletes scored in 10 of the 12 events. The Group 1 school claimed four individual gold medals, two silver and three bronze, including a runner-up team finish in the 4-x-400 meter relay.

Seniors Adam Stavash (pole vault) and Anthony Marino (shot put), and juniors Vincent Sedlmeir (hurdles) and Michael Robertson (400-meter) won their respective events and gave the Aviators an early and insurmountable lead.

Stavash, a state-title contender in the pole vault, easily won the event by a foot with a leap of 12-06. Robertson, who helped lead the Hasbrouck Heights football team to a third straight state sectional title in the fall and the first-ever Group 1 Bowl Championship, crossed the finish line in 53.40 despite battling flu-like symptoms.

“I feel like track is a nice break from football,” Robertson said. “This puts me in good position to run some good times this year. I took a nice week off between football and track, but I was ready to get back on the track. We look good so far as a team and I feel as if we're the total package.”

Besides Hasbrouck Heights' impressive performances, Rutherford’s Eugene Kim pulled off the trifecta, winning all three jumping events. The senior claimed the high jump (5-08), long jump (19-10.50) and triple jump (42-00.50) to give the Bulldogs 30 of its 36 total team points.

Distance runner Jeremy Bronstein of Dwight-Englewood picked up where he left off in the fall, winning the 3,200 in 9:56.20. The senior, who is the Bergen County Division E cross-country champion, finished ahead of Pompton Lakes sophomore Nathan Armstrong, who was clocked in 10:03.40.

“This is actually my first 3,200 ever,” said Bronstein, who is headed to UConn next fall. “I just wanted to go out at a comfortable pace. I knew those middle laps were going to be really hard, so I just wanted to set the tone a little bit early.”

Manchester had top performances by junior middle-distance runner Isaiah Sparkes, who won the 800 in 2:04.10 and senior sprinter Nastroy Richards, who captured the 55 meters in 6.70.

Glen Rock senior Andrew Lagattuta was the top finisher in the mile.

“This gives us a lot to work for,” Brady said. “The beauty of track is the kids can see their times and their performances and they can always improve. They see where they’re at right now on a fast track and in a competitive meet. They know they can get better with hard work and they can keep pushing themselves.”

Glen Rock girls pull through

A late surge and key individual performances lifted the Glen Rock girls to their first NJIC title.

The Panthers dethroned three-time defending champions Hasbrouck Heights by a three-point margin, 71-68. It came down to the final three events of the night as Glen Rock scored 32 points to leapfrog the Aviators, who held the lead throughout most of the evening.

Sitting in third place through nine events, the Panthers made a seismic move when senior duo Sarah Hutchins and Katie O’Connell went 1-2 in the long jump to give Glen Rock 18 points. Hutchins also finished third in the high jump, adding another six crucial points to the team total.

In the final event of the meet, junior Karina Roze finished second in the shot put to give the Panthers the title.

“The big event for us was the long jump and that put us right in the mix,” said Glen Rock coach JP McCarten. “Karina came in and placed in the shot put and that was big. That locked the meet up for us. We’ve had a lot of success on the boys’ side the last couple of years and to win it on the girls side is big. We see Heights a lot and they’re a perennial powerhouse. It’s great competing against them. Our girls team was young the last two years and they’re ready to take a big step forward.”

Butler’s Rebecca Kneppel captured the 55 meter (7.30) and the 400 (59.10) and the senior feels good after last competing outdoors.

“I feel the best I’ve ever felt in my four years,” said Kneppel, who was slowed last spring with a hamstring injury. “This meet is a great jumpstart. My times went down. This is a fast track and I feel strong.”

Hasbrouck Heights junior Talia Ferguson took first in both the high jump and triple jump (33-07) and she cleared 5-2 in the high jump for the first time.

Hasbrouck Heights coach John d'Amato high-fives Talia Ferguson after Ferguson clears 5-feet-2-inches in the high jump during the NJIC track meet at the Armory Track on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in New York. (Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com)